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By Phil Stevens
The following are very simply my top
dozen lesson that I've learned over the years that will skyrocket
your lifting, as well as life performance.
ONE: If You Want something, Start NOW!
It's simple. Its nothing new, I'm
not re-creating the wheel here or pretending to say anything novel.
You've heard this 1000 times but it still needs repeating until
it sinks in which it may never: NO more excuses or putting things
off- start NOW.
The single largest difference between
the person or athlete that succeeds in life, sport, or personal
goals and one that fails is just simply starting. Not talking about
it but doing it. Just sign an entry form, or start that new diet.
It's that simple step that's the largest factor between the average
and the excellent. You can't ever achieve what you desire or blab
to your friends about if you never put your butt on the line and
actually do it.
TWO: You Will Only Ever Be As Good As You Believe And Demand
Yourself To Be.
After the simple step above, the next
largest factor in the success of the athlete, figure enthusiast,
businessman, etc. that breaks a world record, wins an international
competition, reaches a new level of muscularity and leanness, or
builds a multimillion dollar corporation is belief in one's self
and the demand of excellence.
The biggest difference between a coach,
artist, or product that costs $300 and one that cost $19.95 is having
the balls to ask for it, and the internal belief that you're worth
it. It's true you set your own market, monetary, athletic, physique,
and personal value. You have to believe in yourself, your goals,
and what you strive for, and demand them from yourself and those
you associate with.
THREE: You Must Take On Any Real Passion In Life In A Professional
Manner To Succeed.
To directly draw from Stephen Pressfield
and his book "The War of Art," the difference between
a professional and an amateur is that a professional does it every
day, no matter what. No matter if it's hard, it hurts, it's hot,
it's cold, it sucks, no matter what you get in, and put in the work,
day in day out. You work at it every day even if it's just a few
minutes or an hour. It all adds up.
If you're an author you write. A
painter, you paint. As an athlete, if something hurts you don't
sit and hope it gets better, you put in time to fix it. If that's
rest, then so be it, but you're doing that for a reason.
If you need to gain weight but the
eating is just wearing at you. Or you're dropping fat for a meet,
or a physique competition, or even a high school reunion, and it
SUCKS, well sure it does. What did you expect? You still do it if
you want to succeed. You make the daily effort and still do what
it takes. Not every day will be ground breaking...in fact, most
won't, but you find ways to get in the work that's needed each and
every day to reach your goals. You get better in time. You learn
more and become more efficient and adept, but above all you do it
every day.
The professional also doesn't quit.
The amateur does things for fun and the pro has fun doing things.
Even when its damn hard you stick it out and enjoy the battle of
the process.
FOUR: YOU And Only You Are The One Holding You Back From
Doing And Achieving Anything In Life.
If you want anything bad enough you'll
make it happen. It's just a matter of having the balls to take the
steps to make it happen, and really wanting it. Charles makes this
point very clear in his article "Why
I Don't Want To Clean 315".
It isn't going to be easy but that's
why it's worthwhile. The best jobs, goals, achievements in life...the
ones you're going to love, and have the highest return are going
to be the hardest to achieve, let alone even start. These accomplishments
will mean 10 fold more then anything that came easy. If it's easy,
then you won't really care about he results win or lose, as well
everyone would have done it. You have to pick your fights, accept
the positives and the negatives, and DO IT.
It's tiring hearing this crap from
people, the media, seemingly every direction.
The "man" is getting me
down. McDonalds and the fast food industry are making me fat. Philip
Morris gave me cancer. Alcohol ruined my life. I could have been
the greatest if my coach hadn't... BULL SHIT. You're responsible.
It's time for the world to man up and take responsibility for themselves.
You want something, go get the damn
thing. Make it happen. You're the only one to blame for not making
it or being a success. No ones going to give it to you, and no one
is holding you back except you.
FIVE: Aim For Perfection, But At the Same Time Relish In The
Fact You'll Never Reach It.
The greats in anything always aim
for perfection. They always aim to do what they love better. Each
and every time you do or achieve something, yes be proud, be happy,
but then study it what you did how you did it and find the faults
and how to do it better next time. No matter how hard you try you
will NEVER be perfect, so learn to love that fact and use it as
fuel to keep going forever.
As an artist I aim to create a masterpiece?
the perfect painting. I study the masters, walk in big footsteps
and break down each and everything I do in an attempt to reach perfection.
But deep down, I know and hope I never do reach perfection. If you
were to ever reach perfection in something you love then where are
you going to go next? You might as well quit.
You can't continue on because could
never do better then perfection, so what's the point? Strive for
perfection, or constant advancement, and learn to love the fact
that perfection doesn't exist and that no matter what has been done
by anyone, you can do better if you assert yourself.
SIX: Learn From, And Enjoy
The Past, But Live For Today, And Tomorrow.
In other words, don't be a has-been!
There are plenty of one-shot wonders out there or people replaying
their past in the back of some bar to the same people, who've heard
the same story 500 times.
Enjoy your past. Love what you've
accomplished, who you've met, and where you've been but don't let
it define you. Don't stop or you'll just wither away. You hear it
all the time...people who retire and just die. Their work was who
they were and they had nothing left to live for. Always have a new
goal and mission in life, something that keeps you going. Something
to strive for.
Keep your eye out for Part II next week!
About The Author
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Phil, while attaining both his
Bachelors and Masters degrees in studio art found another
passion, that of training and nutrition. A constant student,
his real-world under-the-barbell and behind-the-fork approach
has led to many an opportunity, experience, and change in
his life as well as those he has worked.
Phil currently, aside from his
varied work with Team Staley, is a working and showing artist
(http://www.philstevens.com).
His current personal fitness goals are to become a competitive
force as middleweight strongman competitor, while building
upon his power lifting experience in which he has seen as
high as a top ten national ranking; with a two year goal of
obtaining an elite ranking as a 242 or 275lb weight class
RAW power lifter.
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